Fearing political interference, they have stretched out the last throes of the vintage of 2022 in the Rioja qualified denomination of origin, which groups three areas: Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta and Rioja Baja or Oriental.
Thus a new chapter is written in which the Basque government endorses the creation, at least temporarily, of the Protected Designation of Origin Viñedos de Álava. A claim that has been on the table for several years, promoted by different producers who are currently within the Rioja qualified designation of origin, but who geographically belong to the province of Álava.
A tug-of-war that began in 2016, when some 40 Rioja Alavesa winemakers sued the Rioja Regulatory Council be able to label or mention the origin of the wine on the bottles. The Rioja council compromised and allowed different sub-zones to be created, including Rioja Alavesa.
However, the changes were insufficient for this series of winemakers grouped in the Rioja Alavesa Winery Association (ABRA). In July 2022, they processed a project that currently includes the Official Gazette of the Basque Country offered with the transitory national protection for the Protected Designation of Origin Viñedos de Álava – Arabako Mahastiak.
It is a temporary authorization in response to the request that ABRA mobilized, since the final decision corresponds to the European Union, which, in the event that it opposes the creation of the appellation of origin, will force the withdrawal of the brand.
With this temporary decision, for now we will have to wait until at least 2024 (the 2022 harvest is already closed and therefore it is too late to promote these wines for 2023) to be able to market wines under the umbrella of Viñedos de Álava, and even so they will be at the expense of Europe giving the go-ahead to the creation of this new appellation of origin.
The political scene
Beyond the future that is glimpsed both for the Rioja Alavesa vineyards themselves and for the vineyards of the Rioja qualified denomination of origin, the reality is that all these actions may remain a dead letter once the European Council pronounces itself on the creation or not from the denomination of origin Viñedos de Álava.
The highest European body received all the documentation at the end of May by ABRA and the Basque government for the approval of this denomination of origin, being the only guarantors of the success or failure of this proposal.
With everything and with that, different sources from the Rioja Regulatory Council have warned that they will take the decision made by the Basque government to court, which in different scenarios has recalled that the only thing he is doing is taking note of a demand from the winemakers.
Become a tug of war between different administrations and political partiesthe creation of Viñedos de Álava and its opposition to the attitude of the DOCA Rioja Regulatory Council is a chapter that has transcended the oenological to shake up the political.
The decision, stated in the official bulletin of the Basque Country, according to Efe Agro sources, has only been positively valued in the EH Bildu party. While the PNV only has qualified the decision as necessary.
On the other hand, even the deputy general of Álava (Ramiro González, from the PNV), considers It is necessary that the vineyards of Álava must have their own recognition but within the Rioja qualified denomination of origin.
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For its part, also there are tugs of war in Rioja, between PP and PSOE (in government) where the popular accuse the president of the Concha Andreu Community of inaction, whom they believe has allowed these reactions to go too far.
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